Toggle control for lighting system

ABSTRACT

Lighting systems and methods implementing toggle control are provided. In one example implementation, a lighting system includes a first LED array having one or more LED devices and a second LED array having one or more LED devices. The system further includes a single throw circuit interrupter configured to receive power from a power source. The system further includes a power conversion circuit configured to convert an input power received via the toggle switch to a power output for the first LED array and the second LED array. The power conversion circuit is configured to control a power distribution ratio between the first LED array and the second LED array based at least in part on a detected toggle input (e.g., a toggle pattern) implemented using the single throw circuit interrupter.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/245,741 filed Jan. 11, 2019, titled “LED Lighting Fixture AndAdjustment of Color Temperature Thereof Based at least in part onDetected Toggle Input” and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,524,324 on Dec.31, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/875,326 filed on Jan. 19, 2018, titled “Toggle Control for LightingSystem” and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,187,951 on Jan. 22, 2019, whichis a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/429,732 filed on Feb.10, 2017, titled “Toggle Control for Lighting System” and issued as U.S.Pat. No. 9,907,134 on Feb. 27, 2018, which claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/293,619, titled“Toggle Control for LED Lighting System,” filed Feb. 10, 2016, each ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to lighting systems.

BACKGROUND

LED lighting systems can include one or more LED devices that becomeilluminated as a result of the movement of electrons through asemiconductor material. LED devices are becoming increasingly used inmany lighting applications and have been integrated into a variety ofproducts, such as light fixtures, indicator lights, flashlights, andother products. LED lighting systems can provide increased efficiency,life and durability, can produce less heat, and can provide otheradvantages relative to traditional incandescent and fluorescent lightingsystems. Moreover, the efficiency of LED lighting systems has increasedsuch that higher power can be provided at lower cost to the consumer.

Lighting systems can include control interfaces to allow users to adjustthe light output of LED arrays using, for instance, dimming controls. Asan example, dimming controls can be used to vary the color temperatureor other lighting effects of a lighting system having a plurality of LEDarrays using a dimmer device. A dimmer device can include a manuallyadjustable element that facilitates adjustment of the light output of alighting system as the dimmer device is manually adjusted from, forinstance, a first position to a second position. Dimmer devices are notalways available or desired in every lighting system.

In many cases only a toggle switch or other single throw circuitinterrupter is available for the control of light output by a lightingsystem. A single throw circuit interrupter can be operated in two ormore states. For instance, a single throw circuit interrupter can beplaced in an off state to turn the light output of the lighting systemoff. The single throw circuit interrupter can be placed in an on stateto turn the light output of the lighting system on.

SUMMARY

Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will beset forth in part in the following description, or may be learned fromthe description, or may be learned through practice of the embodiments.

One example aspect of the present disclosure is directed a lightemitting diode (LED) system. The system can include a first LED arrayhaving one or more LED devices and a second LED array having one or moreLED devices. The system can further include a single throw circuitinterrupter configured to receive power from a power source. The systemcan further include a power conversion circuit configured to convert aninput power received via the toggle switch to a power output for thefirst LED array and the second LED array. The power conversion circuitcan be configured to control a power distribution ratio between thefirst LED array and the second LED array based at least in part on adetected toggle input (e.g., a toggle pattern) implemented using thesingle throw current interrupter.

Other example aspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems,methods, apparatus, circuits, and electronic devices for controlling alighting system using a toggle switch.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of various embodimentswill become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the present disclosure and, together with thedescription, serve to explain the related principles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Detailed discussion of embodiments directed to one of ordinary skill inthe art are set forth in the specification, which makes reference to theappended figures, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an overview of an example system according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic of an example power conversion circuitaccording to example embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 depicts an example distribution circuit according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 depicts an example distribution circuit according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram of an example control method implementedbased at least in part on toggle input provided via a toggle switchaccording to example embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments, one or moreexamples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example isprovided by way of explanation of the embodiments, not limitation of thepresent disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various modifications and variations can be made to theembodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the presentdisclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part ofone embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that aspects of the presentdisclosure cover such modifications and variations.

Example aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a solid statelighting system, such as a light emitting diode (LED) lighting system.Aspects of the present disclosure are discussed with reference to LEDsolid state light sources for purposes of illustration and discussion.Those of ordinary skill in the art, using the disclosures providedherein, will understand that aspects of the present technology can beused with other light sources without deviating from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

In some implementations, a lighting system can include a plurality ofLED arrays. Each LED array can include one or more LED devices. Each LEDarray can be associated with a different color temperature, differentcolor, different brightness, different lighting direction or othercharacteristic. The lighting system can include a power conversioncircuit configured to control an output of each of the LED arrays (e.g.,by providing a driving current to the LED arrays). In someimplementations, the power conversion circuit can control power delivery(e.g., a driving current for driving the LEDs) to each of the LED arraysto adjust a ratio of light output among the plurality of LED arrays toprovide desired lighting effects.

According to particular aspects of the present disclosure, the lightingsystem can include a circuit interrupter, such as a single throw circuitinterrupter that can be configured to control power delivery to theplurality of LED arrays in the LED lighting system. A single throwcircuit interrupter can include, for instance, an ON/OFF circuitinterrupter, such as a toggle switch, relay (mechanical, electrical ordigital), single-pole-single-throw (SPST) switch, adouble-pole-single-throw (DPST) switch, etc. Aspects of the presentdisclosure will be discuss with reference to a toggle switch forpurposes of illustration and discussion. Those of ordinary skill in theart, using the disclosures provided herein, will understand that aspectsof the present disclosure can be implemented using any suitable singlethrow circuit interrupter without deviating from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

In some embodiments, a power conversion circuit can be configured (e.g.,using power line communication (PLC) protocols) to detect various togglepatterns (e.g., changes in state during a time period) input via asingle throw circuit interrupter. The power conversion circuit can beconfigured to adjust the light output of each of the LED arrays based onthe detected toggle patterns input via the single throw circuitinterrupter. In this way, the light output of the lighting system can becontrolled using a simple single throw circuit interrupter without theneed for dimmers or other lighting control circuits (e.g., DALI lightingcontrol circuits, DMX lighting control circuits, 0-10V lighting controlcircuits, etc.).

For instance, in one implementation, a user can provide a first toggleinput (e.g., a first toggle pattern comprising one or more changes instate over a time period) via the toggle switch to trigger the powerconversion circuit to implement a power distribution sweep over a rangeof different power distributions (e.g., current splits) or ratios forthe plurality of LED arrays. For instance, the power conversion circuitcan increase a driving current provided to the first LED array over timewhile at the same time decreasing a driving current provided to thesecond LED array over time. This will cause the light output of the LEDlighting system to be swept over a range of different light outputsduring a time period. When a desired light output is achieved, the usercan provide a second toggle input (e.g., a second toggle patterncomprising one or more changes in state during a time period) via thetoggle switch to stop the power distribution sweep and to control thelight output of the LED arrays based on the power distribution (e.g.,current split) at the time of the second toggle input.

As one example, an LED lighting system can include a first LED arrayhaving one or more LED devices associated with a first color temperatureand a second LED array having one or more LED devices associated with asecond color temperature. In response to a toggle input received via atoggle switch, the power conversion circuit according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure can adjust the ratio of powerdistribution (e.g., driving current) over time provided to the first LEDarray relative to the second LED array. As a result, the amount of lightemitted by the first LED array at a first color temperature can beadjusted over time relative to the amount of light emitted by the secondLED array at a second color temperature. This can result in a sweep ofthe light output of the LED lighting system over a range of differentoverall color temperatures. When a desired color temperature isachieved, a second toggle input can be used to control the powerconversion circuit to stop adjusting the ratio of current provided tothe first LED array and second LED array and therefore lock in or holdthe light output of the lighting system at the desired colortemperature.

As another example, a lighting system can include a first LED arrayassociated with a first lighting direction (e.g., to provide uplighting)and a second LED array associated with a second lighting direction(e.g., to provide downlighting). In response to a toggle input receivedvia a toggle switch, the power conversion circuit according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure can adjust over time the ratio ofpower distribution (e.g., driving current) provided to the first LEDarray relative to the current provided to the second LED array. As aresult, the amount of light emitted by the first LED array in the firstdirection can be adjusted over time relative to the amount of lightemitted by the second LED array in the second direction. When a desiredlighting effect of the light output of the lighting system is achieved,a second toggle input can be used to control the power conversioncircuit to stop adjusting the ratio of power distribution provided tothe first LED array and second LED array and therefore lock in or holdthe light output of the lighting system to provide a desired lightingeffect.

In some embodiments, the power distribution (e.g., current split) amongthe plurality of the LED arrays can include a memory device to storeprevious power distributions among the plurality of LED arrays set usingthe toggle switch. In this example embodiment, a desired powerdistribution among the plurality of LED devices to provide a desiredlight output (e.g., desired color temperature, desired lighting effect,etc.) can be implemented by simply turning on the LED arrays with thetoggle switch without having to implement a power distribution sweepusing various toggle inputs with the toggle switch.

As used herein, a “lighting system” can include, but is not limited to,one or more of a lighting circuit, light engine, one or more lightfixtures (i.e., luminaires), a plurality of lighting devices arranged inan environment, a combination of any of the foregoing, or other systemused to provide illumination. A “light fixture” or “luminaire” refers toa device used to provide light or illumination using one or more lightsources. The term “about” or “approximately” when used in conjunctionwith a numerical value refers to within 35% of the stated numericalvalue.

In addition, the present disclosure makes reference to a first toggleinput, a second toggle input, a third toggle input, etc., provided usinga toggle switch. The use of the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,”are used to differentiate between the different toggle inputs and arenot used to indicate either magnitude or order of sequence of the toggleinputs provided via a toggle switch.

FIG. 1 depicts an example LED lighting system 100 according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure. The LED lighting system 100includes a toggle switch 110, a power conversion circuit 200, and aplurality of LED arrays, including a first LED array 120 and a secondLED array 130. While two LED arrays are illustrated in FIG. 1, those ofordinary skill in the art, using the disclosure provided herein willunderstand that any number of LED arrays can be used in the lightingsystem 100 without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

Each of the first LED array 120 and the second LED array 130 can includeone or more LED devices. The LED devices can emit light (e.g. visiblelight, ultraviolet light, infrared light, or other light orelectromagnetic energy) as a result of electrons moving through asemiconductor material. In particular example implementations, the firstLED array 120 can be associated with a different color temperaturerelative to the second LED array 130.

The present disclosure is discussed with reference to LED arrays havingdifferent color temperatures for purposes of illustration anddiscussion. The LED arrays can include many other suitable variationswithout deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Forinstance, the LED arrays can be associated with a different brightness,different color, different spectral distribution, different lightingdirection, different layout, or other suitable characteristics. The LEDarrays can be implemented on the same circuit board or on differentcircuit boards.

The lighting system 100 can receive power for powering the LED arrays120 and 130 from a power source (not shown). The power source can be asuitable alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power source.In some embodiments, the power source comprises an AC circuit having,for instance, a hot-wire and a neutral wire to provide 120 V singlephase AC power.

The toggle switch 110 can be used to control power delivery to thelighting system 100. For instance, the toggle switch 110 can be manuallymanipulated by a user to control the delivery of power to the lightingsystem 100. In some embodiments, the toggle switch 110 can be controlledremotely (e.g., over a wired or wireless network). The toggle switch 110can be configured to interrupt one of the conductors providing power tothe power conversion circuit 200 from the power source 100. Forinstance, the toggle switch 110 can be configured to open or close a hotwire conductor of a 110 V single phase AC power source. In someembodiments, the toggle switch 110 can be a three-way switch, four-wayswitch, five-way switch, or other suitable switch that can control thedelivery of power to the lighting system 100.

For instance, in one example embodiment, when the user toggles thetoggle switch 110 to an off position, the lighting system 100 no longerreceives power from the power source and the lighting system 100 iseffectively turned off. When the user toggles the toggle switch 110 toan on position, power is delivered from the power source to the lightingsystem 100 and the lighting system 100 is effectively turned on. As willbe discussed in more detail below, various toggle inputs (e.g.,different toggle patterns) can be input via the toggle switch 110 tocontrol the power distribution among the plurality of LED arrays 110 and130 in the lighting system 100 to provide different lighting effects.

For instance, in one embodiment, a user can provide a first toggle input(e.g., a first toggle pattern) via the toggle switch 110 to place thelighting system 100 in a control mode. The first toggle input can be,for instance, a first toggle pattern comprising a plurality of toggles(e.g., two toggles) in succession within a time period (e.g., about 2seconds). Other suitable toggle patterns can be used as the first toggleinput without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Thelighting system 100 can provide a visual indicator (e.g., can dim theplurality of LED arrays) that can notify the user that the lightingsystem 100 has entered the control mode. In the control mode, forinstance, the power conversion circuit 200 can implement a powerdistribution sweep among the plurality of LED arrays 120 and 130. Thepower distribution sweep can vary the power distribution among theplurality of LED arrays 120 and 130 over time to adjust the lightingeffects provided by the lighting system 100.

When a desired lighting effect is achieved, a user can provide a secondtoggle input via the toggle switch 110 to cause the power conversioncircuit 200 to stop the power distribution sweep and hold the lightoutput of the lighting system 100. The second toggle input can be, forinstance, a second toggle pattern of one or more toggles that occur whenthe lighting system 100 is in the control mode. The second togglepattern can be different from the first toggle pattern.

In some embodiments, a user can provide a third toggle input via thetoggle switch 110 during the control mode to control the direction ofthe power distribution sweep during the control mode. The third toggleinput can include a toggle pattern comprising plurality of toggles(e.g., two or more toggles) that are received during a specified timeperiod (e.g. two seconds). The third toggle pattern can be the same asor different from the first toggle pattern. The third toggle input cancause the power conversion circuit 200 to change the direction of thepower distribution sweep.

For instance, if the power conversion circuit 200 is implementing apower distribution sweep that is increasing power delivered to the firstLED array 120 and decreasing power delivered to the second LED array130, receipt of the third toggle input can change the direction of thepower distribution sweep such that the power conversion circuit 200implements a power distribution sweep that decreases power delivered tothe first LED array 120 and increases power delivered to the second LEDarray 130. The second toggle input provided via the toggle switch 110can be used to cause the power conversion circuit 200 to stop the powerdistribution sweep and hold the light output of the lighting system 100.

The power conversion circuit 200 can be configured to exit the controlmode a predetermined period of time after the power distribution amongthe plurality of LED arrays 120 and 130 has been held in response to asecond toggle input. When the power conversion circuit 200 exits thecontrol mode, the light output of the lighting system 100 can becontrolled between an on state and an off state using the toggle switch110 as is typically performed in lighting systems.

In some embodiments, a power distribution among the plurality of LEDarrays 120 and 130 can be programmed or otherwise stored in a memorydevice associated with the power conversion circuit 200. The powerconversion circuit 200 can be configured to provide power to theplurality of LED arrays 120 and 130 in accordance with the programmedpower distribution when the power conversion circuit exits the controlmode. In this way, a user can use the toggle switch to simply toggle theLED arrays 120 and 130 on and off without having to implement the powerdistribution sweep to find a desired light output every time the useroperates the lighting system 100.

FIG. 2 depicts an example power conversion circuit 200 configured toimplement lighting control based on toggle inputs according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure. The power conversion circuit 200can include means for controlling a power distribution among the firstLED array and the second LED array based on detected toggle inputsprovided via the toggle switch.

As shown, the power conversion circuit 200 can include a rectifiercircuit 210 configured to convert an AC input (e.g., from the AC powersource) to a rectified output. The rectifier circuit 210 can include,for instance, one or more diodes and/or filtering capacitors forhalf-wave or full wave rectification of AC power. The rectified outputcan be provided to a distribution circuit 300 that is configured tocontrol a split of driving current between the first LED array 120 andthe second LED array 130 according to example embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The rectifier circuit 210 can also provide a Vcc forpowering various aspects of the power conversion circuit 200.

The power conversion circuit 200 can further include a toggle controlcircuit 220. The toggle control circuit 220 can be configured to detectthe various toggle inputs provided via a toggle switch 110 of FIG. 1 andto provide control signals to the distribution circuit 300 to controlpower distribution among the plurality of LED arrays based at least inpart on the detected toggle inputs.

In one implementation, the toggle control circuit 220 can include adetection circuit 224 and one or more control circuits 226. Thedetection circuit 224 can be configured to detect various toggle inputsand/or toggle patterns provided via the toggle switch 110 of FIG. 1 andcan provide signals indicative of the detected toggle inputs to thecontrol circuit 226. The control circuit 226 can determine controlsignals for controlling the distribution circuit 300 based at least inpart on the detected toggle inputs.

In one embodiment, the detection circuit 224 can be configured to detecttoggle inputs by monitoring for interruptions in power delivered fromthe toggle switch 110. For instance, voltage sensing circuits can beused to detect for interruptions in power (e.g., AC power or rectifiedpower) that occur within specified time periods and can provide signalsindicative of the interruptions to the control circuit 226. In oneembodiment, the detection circuit includes a capacitor that isdischarged during interruptions in power attributable to the toggleswitch 110. When the voltage of the capacitor drops below a threshold, asignal indicative of a toggle can be provided by the detection circuit224 to the control circuit 226.

In other embodiments, the detection circuit 224 can be configured todetect one or more toggle inputs using digital load-side transmission(DLT) and/or power line communication (PLC) protocols or other suitablePLC protocols. In these embodiments, the toggle switch 110 can beconfigured to encode information in AC power delivered via the toggleswitch for detection by the detection circuit 220. The detection circuit220 can detect the information using suitable DLT or other PLC detectiontechniques.

For example, in one embodiment, the detection circuit 224 can include,for instance, an active band pass filter with a Schmitt trigger circuit.The Schmitt trigger can provide a signal indicative of a toggle to thecontrol circuitry 226 upon detection of leading or falling edgesattributable to the toggle input provided via the toggle switch 11. Inother example embodiments, the detection circuit 224 can include one ormore digital circuits (e.g., microcontrollers, microprocessors, logicdevices, application specific integrated circuits, etc.) configured todetect interruptions (e.g., leading or falling edges) attributable totoggle inputs provided via the toggle switch. Other suitable detectioncircuits 224 configured to detect toggle patterns can be used withoutdeviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

The control circuit 226 can include one or more control devices (e.g.,one or more microcontrollers, microprocessors, logic circuits,application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.) configured toreceive the signals from the detection circuit 224 indicative of atoggle input via the toggle switch 110. The control circuit 226 canprocess the signals indicative of the toggle input and generate one ormore lighting control signals for controlling the distribution circuit300. The lighting control signals can be, for instance, 0V to 10Vlighting control signals, a digital addressable lighting interface(DALI) lighting control signal, digital multiplex (DMX) lighting controlsignal, Power Management IC (PMIC) or other control signal.

In one embodiment, the control circuit 226 can process signals receivedfrom the detection circuit 224 to detect various toggle inputs. Inresponse to the various toggle inputs, the control circuit 226 can entera control mode and provide lighting control signals to the powerdistribution circuit 300 to implement a power distribution sweep amongthe plurality of LED arrays according to example aspects of the presentdisclosure (e.g., using a multichannel driver circuit, current splittercircuit, dim-to-warm circuit, etc).

For example, the control circuit 226 can detect a first toggle inputcomprising a first toggle pattern. In response to the first toggleinput, the control circuit 226 can enter a control mode. During thecontrol mode, the control circuit 226 can adjust the lighting controlsignals provided to the distribution circuit 300 as discussed in moredetail below to implement a power distribution sweep using thedistribution circuit 300. The control circuit can be configured to stopor hold the power distribution sweep upon the detection of a secondtoggle input and/or to change direction of a power distribution sweepusing the distribution circuit upon detection of a third toggle input.

As shown in FIG. 2, the power conversion circuit 200 can include one ormore memory devices 230 coupled to the control circuit 226. The memorydevice(s) 230 can store instructions (e.g., firmware) accessible by thecontrol circuit 226 for implementing the control functionality discussedherein, such as the control method discussed with reference to FIG. 5.

In some embodiments, the memory device(s) 230 can store desired powerdistributions for the lighting system programmed into the memory device.For instance, data indicative a power distribution (e.g., selected usinga second toggle input) to provide a desired lighting effect can bestored in the memory device. During normal operation (e.g., when thelighting system is not operating in the control mode), the controlcircuit 226 can be configured to provide control signals to control thedistribution circuit 300 in accordance with the programmed powerdistribution.

The distribution circuit 300 can be any suitable circuit that can adjustthe ratio of power delivered to the first LED array 120 and powerdelivered to the second LED array 130 based on signals received from thecontrol circuit 226. For instance, the distribution circuit 300 can, insome embodiments, be a multichannel driver circuit configured to provideindependent driver currents to each of the plurality of LED arrays 120and 130.

In some embodiments, the distribution circuit 300 can be, for instance,a dim-to-warm circuit used to control the correlated color temperatureof the lighting system in response to dimming of the plurality of LEDarrays based on the control signal from the control circuit 226. Inother embodiments the distribution circuit 300 can include, forinstance, a current splitter circuit used to control the powerdistribution among the plurality of LED arrays independent of a dimminginput based on the control signal from the control circuit 226.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of an example distribution circuit 300used to control the correlated color temperature of the lighting systemto provide dim-to-warm capability based on toggle inputs according toexample embodiments of the present disclosure. The distribution circuit300 can include a variable constant current drive 412 (e.g., a drivercircuit) configured to receive power, for instance, from the rectifiercircuit 210 of FIG. 2. The variable constant current drive 412 canoutput a direct current (DC) for powering the plurality of LED arrays.

The variable constant current drive 412 can receive a control signalfrom the toggle control circuit 220 of FIG. 2 to control the magnitudeof the DC current from about a 10% value to about 100% or maximumcurrent output. For instance, the toggle control circuit 220 of FIG. 2can provide one or more control signals to vary the magnitude of the DCcurrent in a first direction (e.g., can decrease the magnitude of the DCcurrent) in response to a first toggle input. The control circuit 226can provide one or more control signals to hold the DC current at aspecific magnitude in response to a second toggle input. The togglecontrol circuit can provide one or more control signals to change thedirection of the varying magnitude of the DC current (e.g., can increasethe magnitude of the DC current) in response to a third toggle input.

Referring to FIG. 3, a voltage regulator 416 can receive the inputcurrent from the current drive 412. A current measure device 418 canreceive and measure the current output from the current drive 412 andcan output a measured current value.

A controller 420, such as a ratio controller, can receive inputs fromthe voltage regulator 416 and the current measure device 418. Thecontroller 420 can include one or more control devices (e.g., one ormore microcontrollers, microprocessors, logic circuits, applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.) The controller 420 can beconfigured to process the measured current value and output currentvalues as discussed in detail below.

A first light channel 422 and a second light channel 424 can receive thecurrent output by the current drive 412. In one embodiment, the firstlight channel 422 can include the first LED array 120 of FIG. 1. Thesecond light channel 424 can include the second LED array 130 of FIG. 1.

The first light channel 422 can be electrically connected in series to afirst current control 426 whereby current passes through the first lightchannel 422 and the first current control 426. The first current control426 receives a current value output by controller 420. In oneembodiment, the first current control 426 is a gated transistor and thecurrent value is provided to the gate.

The second light channel 424 can be electrically connected in series toa second current control 428 whereby current passes through the secondlight channel 424 and the second current control 428. The second currentcontrol 428 also receives a current value output by controller 420. Inone embodiment, the second current control 428 is a gated transistor andthe current value is provided to the gate.

An optional dimming curve adjustment interface 430 can be provided tocommunicate with the controller 420 to adjust a dimming curve for thecombination of light channels that is stored in the controller 420. Inone embodiment, the dimming curve adjustment interface 430 is aBluetooth wireless device for wireless communication with the controller420. In other embodiments, the dimming curve adjustment interface 430 isa resistor that connects to pins of a processor of the controller 420.Other arrangements are contemplated.

The voltage regulator 416 can receive a small or negligible portion ofthe current output from the current drive 412. The voltage regulator 416can output a small voltage to the controller 420 to power the controller420. The voltage regulator 416 can be configured so that adequatevoltage is provided to power the controller 420 even if the current fromthe current drive is less than 10% of its maximum current value, andeven less than 5% or other suitable threshold in some embodiments.

In operation, the DC current that is output by the current drive 412 canbe adjusted based on the control signals received from the togglecontrol circuit 220 (FIG. 2). The current output by the current drive412 can be input to the first light channel 422 and the second lightchannel 424. The controller 420 can receive a measured current valueobtained by the current measuring device 418. The controller 420 cancompare the measured current value to a maximum current value for thecurrent drive 412 to calculate or otherwise determine a light controlvalue. In some embodiments, the light control value can be a percentagelight control value from 0% to about 100%.

The controller 420 can determine a ratio of current provided to thefirst light channel 422 relative to the second light channel 424. Morespecifically, the controller 420 determines how much of the currentoutput by the current drive is provided to each of the light channels422, 424.

A memory (not shown) provided with the ratio controller 420 can storeproportional current values for each of the light channels 422, 424 thatcorrespond to a given percentage light control value. The controller 420can use the percentage light control value to obtain a current value orpercentage for light to be output by the first light channel 422 and acurrent value or percentage for light to be output by the second lightchannel 424. Upon the determination of the current values, thecontroller 420 sends a first current value for applying a first currentto the first current control 426 and a second current value for applyinga second current to the second current control 428. Thus, the firstcurrent is based on the first current value and the second current isbased on the second current value. Changing the values of the firstcurrent and the second current can result in different desired colortemperatures for the light output at different percentage light controlvalues. In this way, the distribution circuit 300 of FIG. 3 can be usedto provide dim-to-warm functionality based at least in part on toggleinputs detected by the toggle control circuit 220 (FIG. 2).

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of an example power distribution circuit300 including a current splitter system used to control the powerdistribution among a plurality of LED arrays according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure. The current splitter system cancontrol the power distribution among the plurality of LED arraysindependent of dimming of the plurality of LED arrays.

As shown in FIG. 4, the power distribution circuit 300 can include anLED driver circuit 510 and a current splitter circuit 5520. The LEDdriver circuit 510 can be configured to receive an input power (e.g.,from the rectifier circuit 210 of FIG. 2), and can convert the inputpower to a suitable driver output (e.g. driver current) for powering theplurality of LED arrays 120 and 130. In some embodiments, the drivercircuit 510 can include various components, such as switching elements(e.g. transistors) that are controlled to provide a suitable driveroutput. For instance, in one embodiment, the driver circuit 510 caninclude one or more transistors. Gate timing commands can be provided tothe one or more transistors to convert the input power to a suitabledriver output using pulse width modulation techniques. In someembodiments, the driver circuit 510 can be a dimmable driver circuit.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the driver output can be provided to a currentsplitter circuit 520. The current splitter circuit 520 can be configuredto split the driver output into a first current for powering the firstLED array 532 and a second current for powering the second LED array534. In this way, the current splitter circuit 520 can be used to adjustthe light output of the first LED array 532 relative to the light outputof the second LED array 534. The current splitter circuit 520 can beconfigured to control the current ratio of the first current provided tothe first LED array 532 to the second current provided to the second LEDarray based on a lighting control signal received from the togglecontrol circuit 220 of FIG. 2.

For instance, the toggle control circuit 220 of FIG. 2 can provide oneor more control signals to implement a power distribution sweep inresponse to a first toggle input. During the power distribution sweep,the current splitter circuit 520 can adjust the current ratio over timebetween the first LED array and the second LED array. For instance thecurrent splitter circuit 520 can increase the driving current providedto the first LED array while decreasing the driving current provided tothe second LED array. In response to a second toggle input, the togglecontrol circuit 220 can provide a control signal to the current splittercircuit 520 to hold the current split at a specific current ratiobetween the first LED array and the second LED array. In response to athird toggle input, the toggle control circuit 220 can provide a controlsignal to the current splitter circuit 520 to change the direction ofthe power distribution sweep.

The current splitter circuit 520 can include one or more control devices(e.g. a microprocessor, a microcontroller, logic device, etc.) and oneor more switching elements (e.g. transistors) in line with each of thefirst LED array 532 and the second LED array 534. The control device(s)can control the amount of current provided to the first LED array 532and the second LED array 534 by controlling the switching elements. Theswitching elements used to control the amount of current provided to thefirst LED array 532 and to the second LED array 534 can be either on thelow voltage side of the LED arrays or the high voltage side of the LEDarrays.

In particular aspects, the control device(s) can control the currentprovided to the first LED array 532 and to the second LED array 534according to a current ratio control curve based on the lighting controlsignal. The current ratio control curve can be stored in firmware orstored in a memory accessible by the control device. The current ratiocontrol curve can specify the current ratio of the first currentprovided to the first LED array 532 and the second current provided tothe second LED array 534 as a function of at least the control signalreceived from the toggle control circuit 220 of FIG. 2. The currentratio control curve can specify, for instance, comprises a linear,super-linear, parabolic, logarithmic, asymptotic, or exponentialrelationship between the current ratio and the lighting control signalreceived from the toggle control circuit 220.

FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram of one example control method (600) thatcan be implemented using the lighting system according to exampleembodiments of the present disclosure. The method can be implemented,for instance, using the lighting system 100 having a plurality of LEDarrays of FIG. 1. In addition, FIG. 5 depicts steps performed in aparticular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those ofordinary skill in the art, using the disclosures provided herein willunderstand that various steps of any of the methods provided herein canbe adapted, modified, rearranged, performed simultaneously, omitted, orexpanded in various ways without deviating from the scope of the presentdisclosure.

At (602), a first toggle input provided via a toggle switch can bedetected. For instance, a toggle control circuit can detect a toggleinput by the toggle switch 110 shown in FIG. 1. The first toggle inputcan be a first toggle pattern including a plurality of successivetoggles (e.g., two toggles) that occur within a specified time period.

In response to the first toggle input, the lighting system can enter acontrol mode (604). When in the control mode, the lighting system can becontrolled to adjust a power distribution between the plurality of LEDarrays using various toggle patterns provided via the toggle switch.

At (606), the method can implement a power distribution sweep among theplurality of LED arrays. For instance, a power (e.g., driving current)provided to a first LED array having one or more LED devices can beincreased while a power provided to a second LED array having one ormore LED devices can be decreased. Adjusting the power distributionamong the plurality of LED arrays can provide variations in the lightoutput of the LED system (e.g., variations in color temperature,lighting direction, or other lighting effects).

At (608) it can be determined whether a second toggle input has beenprovided via the toggle switch. The second toggle input can be a secondtoggle pattern including one or more toggles. The second toggle patterncan be different from the first toggle pattern. When the second toggleinput is detected, the power distribution among the plurality of LEDarrays can be held at its current state so that the lighting systemprovides a desired light output as shown at (610). Data indicative ofthe power distribution can also be stored in a memory device as shown at(612) so that the lighting system defaults to the selected powerdistribution when being turned on and off with the toggle switch. At(614) it is determined whether a predetermined period of time has passed(e.g., 5 or more seconds) since the second toggle input has beendetected. If so, the method can exit the control mode as shown at (616),otherwise the method can continue to monitor for second toggle inputs orthird toggle inputs as illustrated in FIG. 5.

In the event a second toggle input is not detected at (608), the methoddetermines whether a third toggle input has been received at (618). Ifthe third toggle input has been detected, the method can change thedirection of the power distribution sweep (620). Otherwise, the methodcan continue to implement the power distribution sweep implemented inresponse to the first toggle input as shown at (606).

FIG. 5 depicts one example control method that can be implemented usinga toggle switch according to example embodiments of the presentdisclosure for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those ofordinary skill in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, willunderstand that a variety of different control schemes can be developedfor controlling the power distribution among a plurality of LED arraysin response to various toggle inputs without deviating from the scope ofthe present disclosure.

While the present subject matter has been described in detail withrespect to specific example embodiments thereof, it will be appreciatedthat those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of theforegoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, andequivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the presentdisclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, andthe subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of suchmodifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matteras would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lighting fixture, comprising: a first LED arrayassociated with a first color temperature; a second LED array associatedwith a second color temperature; and a circuit including a controllerconfigured to determine a ratio of current provided to the first LEDarray relative to the second LED array to adjust a color temperature ofa combined light output of the first LED array and the second LED arraybased, at least in part, on a detected toggle input.
 2. The lightingfixture of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to adjust thecolor temperature of the combined light output to correspond to a colortemperature of about 3000 Kelvin.
 3. The lighting fixture of claim 1,wherein the circuit is configured to adjust the color temperature of thecombined light output to correspond to a color temperature of about 4000Kelvin.
 4. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the circuit isconfigured to adjust the color temperature of the combined light outputto correspond to a color temperature of about 5000 Kelvin.
 5. Thelighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the circuit is further configuredto convert an input power to an output power for the first LED array andthe second LED array.
 6. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein thecircuit is configured to adjust a power distribution amongst the firstLED array and the second LED array such that the first LED arrayreceives 100 percent of the output power and the second LED arrayreceives 0 percent of the output power.
 7. The lighting fixture of claim1, wherein the circuit is configured to adjust a power distributionamongst the first LED array and the second LED array such that the firstLED array receives 0 percent of the output power and the second LEDarray receives 100 percent of the output power.
 8. The lighting fixtureof claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to adjust a powerdistribution amongst the first LED array and the second LED array suchthat the output power is split between the first LED array and thesecond LED array.
 9. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein thecircuit is configured to sweep a power distribution amongst the firstLED array and the second LED array to adjust the color temperature ofthe combined light output.
 10. The lighting fixture of claim 1, whereinthe circuit is configured to adjust the color temperature of thecombined light output by the lighting fixture from a color temperatureof about 3000K to a color temperature of about 4000K.
 11. The lightingfixture of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to adjust thecolor temperature of the combined light output by the lighting fixturefrom a color temperature of about 4000K to a color temperature of about5000K.
 12. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the circuit furthercomprises a toggle control circuit configured to detect the toggle inputand to provide one or more control signals to a distribution circuitbased at least in part on the toggle input to adjust the colortemperature of the combined light output.
 13. The lighting fixture ofclaim 1, wherein the toggle input comprises a plurality of successivetoggles within a time period.
 14. The lighting fixture of claim 1,wherein the toggle input is implemented using a single throw circuitinterrupter.
 15. The lighting fixture of claim 14, wherein the singlethrow circuit interrupter comprises a toggle switch.
 16. A method forcontrolling a lighting fixture comprising a first LED array associatedwith a first color temperature and a second LED array associated with asecond color temperature, the method comprising: detecting a toggleinput; and responsive to detecting the toggle input, determining a ratioof current provided to the first LED array relative to the second LEDarray and adjusting a color temperature of a combined light output ofthe first LED array and the second LED array based on the ratio.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, wherein adjusting the color temperature of thecombined light output comprises: adjusting the color temperature of thecombined light output from a color temperature of about 3000 Kelvin to acolor temperature of about 4000 Kelvin.
 18. The method of claim 16,wherein adjusting the color temperature of the combined light outputcomprises: adjusting the color temperature of the combined light outputfrom a color temperature of about 4000 Kelvin to a color temperature ofabout 5000 Kelvin.
 19. The method of claim 16, further comprisingsweeping a power distribution amongst the first LED array and the secondLED array to adjust the color temperature of the combined light output.